Communications and Coordination Volunteer: Inter-Council Network

January 3, 2018

Every six months, the Inter-Council Network (ICN), hosted by the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation, offers one or two unique, competitive, and sought-after volunteer positions for persons who are interested in the Canadian context of global cooperation, and who would be working with national and regional leadership and decision-makers in the sector to coordinate and support over 400 civil society organizations working in Canada on global issues. The work is meaningful, has national impact, and does demand a high-degree of professionalism and accountability. This position guarantees to provide you with a very unique, high-level exposure and experience in the sector.

This position is currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and would involve working with a dynamic, young, highly-experienced group of staff and other volunteers.

This position does receive a lot of applications, and we ask interested persons to be rigorous and detailed in the application process (outlined below).

Role Description:

The volunteer will assist the ICN National Coordinator with ongoing program activities that could include, but are not limited to, program development and implementation, communications, reporting and proposal writing. The various specific program tasks will be shared with the short-listed candidates, and the volunteer would be assigned tasks that would align with their interest, learning goals, experience and skills. In order to gain a better understanding of what some of these tasks might look like, please refer to the list below.

We do encourage a collaborative work environment and prefer if volunteers are able to come into the Vancouver-based office occasionally. The balance of office-based and remote work, as well as frequency of interim communication, can be negotiated with the prospective volunteer.

Volunteer hours would also be negotiated with the prospective volunteer, though we do hope for a minimum commitment of 15 hours/ week to ensure a meaningful and impactful experience for both the volunteer and the ICN.

The ideal length of time for this position is 3 to 6 months, to be also negotiated with the prospective volunteer. We hope for someone who can start immediately, with an immediate start date.

What makes a good fit:

Academic, volunteer or professional experience in international/ global cooperation

Social Media and Communications savvy

Passionate about global change and how it happens

Interested in the Canadian context/ experience of global cooperation

Interested and experienced in working in close contact with sector leaders (organization Executive Directors), and in relationship with the federal government

Interested and skilled in communications, written, oral and online, and particularly in emerging digital media

Keen on holding a position of responsibility and accountability

Detail oriented and aspire to delivering superior quality, in a timely manner

Wanting to gain valuable work experience in the non-profit sector

Upcoming program tasks:

Implement a marketing and communications strategy,

Including design of communications materials, advertising and actively posting on social media, and through the Council network.

Communicate with speakers and facilitators to assure there is clarity in the desired objectives and format of their presentation,

Arrange for logistics

Organizing and hosting national sector-specific capacity building thematic webinars

Conduct translation work and content production/editing for key resources

Supporting ongoing BCCIC and ICN project activities, as needed

Maintain an ongoing record of activities

Contribute to an effective and positive team environment at BCCIC

Thoughtfully engage with the public, members and staff of all Councils

Orientation:

All ICN volunteers have a one-day orientation session to better understand the organization and what it means to be a volunteer with us.

Communication and Accountability: Accountability:

We hope to engage our volunteers in tasks that are interesting, impactful and contribute to the work of the ICN.

As such, we hope for a high-degree of accountability.

In the Orientation, volunteers will be asked what their preferences would be for regular check-ins, and feedback, to establish and review clear expectations, and mitigate any lack of clarity or disappointed expectations, for the mutual benefit of the organization and the volunteer.

The Communications and Coordination Assistant will report to the ICN National Coordinator.

Benefits:

We will discuss your specific learning objectives and keep those in mind throughout your engagement with the ICN and BCCIC. Other benefits include:

The opportunity to develop your subject matter expertise, to share your knowledge with and learn from not-for-profit leaders, and to contribute to your community in a significant way.

Opportunity to work with national and regional leaders in global cooperation

Opportunity to learn about global cooperation and international development in the Canadian context

Exposure to and participation in regular high-level, nation-wide conversations on global issues

Exposure, and opportunity to liaise with over 400 civil society organizations in Canada working on global cooperation

BCCIC is a coalition of British Columbia voluntary international development organizations and provincial branches of such organizations committed to achieving sustainable global development in a peaceful and healthy environment, with social justice, human dignity and participation for all. For more information on BCCIC visit http://bccic.ca/

The Inter-Council Network (ICN) is a coalition of the eight Provincial and Regional Councils for International Cooperation. These member-based Councils are committed to global social justice, and represent over 400 diverse civil society organizations (CSOs) from across Canada. The ICN provides a national forum in which the Councils collaborate for improved effectiveness and identify common priorities for collective action.

The ICN is currently managed by the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) as a part of the Connecting with Canadians Global Citizenship Program, which began July 14, 2014 and will end March 31, 2019.